Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-20
AN OLD TOWN.
I, ,,oyxosp MANS OBSERVATIONS IN
FLORIDA.
p.n,.eola and Its History and Surround
ings-visiting the Forts -ssroni-
mo and His Band.

- Tor travel make a trip 10 Florida
,,nv, ON easy and pleasant affair lcay-
mo our beautiful Richmond on the
LANES" At 80 A. NJ. gld the fieainon.
AIRLINE Atlanta. West Point ana
Montoomery. and Louisville and Nash
M raiIuovs At 2 p. NJ, the next day
'.n S, arc in The quaint old Spanish city
~ ~ pcrsacolo. undertaking IN the dead
- winter the balmy air OF sprlng' sea,
soned with the salt oil Tue ""s anu
gulf. .,;,;os IN and about
The city, the names OF many o.
az citizens and the very manners
e ,be people tell Of its Spanish origin,
.nj owe also delicate lntlina,ion OF
%n French conquest in 49, andsther
holding il until 1922, when II was re-
SOP Pc~s" a. WIS coded to the English
:, f769 who laid il out as town N
I-cF In 1871 the town surrendereu
90 The Spaniards and their french al
lies after twenty days OF hghtng'
near The close Of which there was
terrific explosion in Fort San Miguel;
the ruins Of which still remain on
bill AT the head of Palafox street az an
elevation of seycnty-fye feet ABOVE
Pensacola bay. -,
old Fort San Bcrnado, winch was
captured ut the same time, was apeut
half mile northwest OF san miguel
and ON an elevation % feet above the
bay. ,o.
cod Hickory. entered Pensacola
where the British fleet in the bay de-
sfr,yed the forts-San Carlos lat
Barancas) and Santa Rosa.
Bnt in 1919 Spain 50 far recognized
the doctrine of manifest destiny as
10 cede the whole of Florida to the
United States, and henceforth Pensa-
cola has been gradually Amerlcamzed'
Though still retaining many OF the
characteristics of the old town.
THE BAY.
Pensacola bay is certainly one OF the
most beautiful sheets of water that the
SIM shines upon. while the harbor.
land-locked on every side, and with
twenty-four feet OF water ut the
wharyos, is one of the finest in the
world.
Many of the old Spanish buildings
were destroyed during "the war be-
tween the States, but enough remain
10 satisfy the curiosity of the tourist
and rclc-hunter. while many new and
elegant business houses, hotels, and pri-
yate residences attest the great pro-
oress Of the city, which has increased
I'M population from 1000 to 1,20O
Mt the end of the war, to 300
in 1870. G,700 in 1880, and 1900
by a census made last year. There are
at least 10000 people here now, and
the numbers would be largely increased
were the sailors, visitors, &c, to be
added to the count.
/ confess TO considerable surprise
when | saw at the wharves and anchored
in the bay the forest of spars and masts,
the number of large ocean vessels, and
the flags of all nations, and heard
among the sailors the jargon of we'll
nigh every language.
STATISTICS.
After gazing upon these "white-
winged messengers of commerce
was prepared to learn that the marine
statistics for the wear ending July /,
1886, were as follows: Foreign vessels
cleared, 373. American vessels cleared
for foreign ports, 80; coasting vessels
cleared, 113-total, $50 vessels, with a
tonnage Of 1915, 1898 and 6,400 men in
the crews. The value Of the exports to
foreign ports was S3,01l, 957, while the
coastwise imports of fertilizers, steel
rails, ice, &c, exceeded g., 600, 600.
II is easy to see that these 6,4OO sail
ors coming from every quarter of the
globe. the 1000 stevedOres and their
assistants who make 1t their winter
residence, its large winter travel Cthe
hotels are all full now, and its resident
population of 10000 people make
Pensacola very live city. And the
prospects for future development are
decidedly bright. -,
The over one hundred square-rigged
vessels to be seen in the harbor ut one
time nova sight rarely witnessed in
any other American port-wlll be
largely increased in number when
ARRANGEMENTS are perfected to increase
the expectation Of coal and iron, and
cotton and grain-shippers come to APP
prcciate the great advantages of Pensa-
cola as a shipping point.
THE CLIMATE.
Add to this the delightful climate
the thermometer rarely falls as low as
30 in winter or as high as 80 in sum-
mer-the excellent salt bathing, fishing,
hunting, boating, &c., and the many
points of interest within convenient ac-
cess, and it is not surprising that Pen
sacola is one of the chief resorts OF
travellers WHO seek "the land of flow
crs.
THE MAYNARD.
had the other day-by the courtesy
Of Mr.. Knowles, who captured one OF
Richmond's bellies to adorn his southern
home--a most delightful excursion
down the bay. The maynard Is a
beautiful place, and seems to be kept
in fine order, though no work IS done
there now, and there seems 10 be great
doubt as TO what disposition " Uncle
San" will make of this big white ele-
plant which he has on his hands; but
il serves at all events to provide an ele-
gent home for few naval officers.
The same may be said of Fort Baran-
cas-, which is kept in apple-pie order by
the gallant commandment and the small
force he has under him, but which
modern guns would soon KNOCK to
pieces even more completely thad old
Fort McRae, at the entrance to the bay
from the gulf, was by the Federal gun
boats before the Confederates evacuated
it. But the promptness and success
with which General Bragg erected sand
batteries, which made the fleet keep its
distance, may suggest the solution OF
the problem of our sea-coast defences.
BY the way, when the colonel com
manding was told that We had IN our
party the Virginia delegation Colonel
John b. Cary and Colonel 10. Lane
81 Al Ilof.nan Inn-